Eight Days of Data, Sun, Hiking, and Fun (but maybe only 4 days of sun)

Twelve students from the Cambridge School of Weston (CSW) recently spent 8 days on Hurricane as an intensive field component to their Marine Biology course. The juniors and seniors in the program all had been studying field methods and reading about intertidal research prior to arriving on Hurricane, so they had a solid foundation to start their independent and small group research projects.

Foggy morning data collection with transects and quadrats.

Within a few hours of their arrival on Hurricane, students were exploring the intertidal zone, examining organisms, and asking questions. The next morning, they were in the field by 6 am, practicing using transects, quadrats, and stadia rods so they would be prepared to start collecting data for their research projects. Their topics ranged from tidepool biodiversity to seaweed fertility to hermit crab habitats to dog whelk shell erosion and more. They diligently collected data each day and thoughtfully considered many factors contributing to their results.

Using calipers and measuring scallops as part of Hurricane's lantern net growth experiment. 

While this group stayed focused and worked very hard, they also took moments to enjoy down time and the natural beauty of Hurricane Island. They continually expressed gratitude and joy as they appreciated meals, foggy views, seal sightings, and hikes. I remember our first perimeter hike on day 2 when a student exclaimed “whoa this is so cool and different” when we entered a wooded section of the trail. This stands out to me because I recall having the same reaction when I first walked that trail three seasons ago.

At the end of a long day in the field, not much beats a colorful sunset like this!

I value the balance of hard work, gratitude, and fun that this group brought to our Hurricane community, and I wish them luck finishing up their project reports for final presentations back at school. They will upload their final project reports to their class website, where they also kept a blog of their time on Hurricane. Check it out here!  

One of the sunny days during this program! Excellent for seaweed data collection.

First Impressions

Guest blog post by Science Educator Alex Griffith

Upon reflection, it’s remarkable that only 16 days have passed since I arrived on Hurricane Island, but in that brief time, my excitement for the summer to really kick off has only increased.  Having spent most of my April at home down in North Carolina, the cold weather was at first a shock, but after moving into Flywheel cabin I find myself incredibly busy and already a part of the strong community here on Hurricane.

In the short two weeks or so since I first set foot on this island, I’ve already experienced a wide range of programs, from a board meeting to a volunteer day to two school programs.  St. George Elementary was here for a day trip with a focus on history, and after a history hike around the island and a timeline and archaeology activity, they left with a solid grip of the fascinating human history of the island.  Gould, on the other hand, was here with a focus on team-building, so I got to really use my prior experience working in experiential education to help them work through the raft challenge, some rock climbing, and the polar plunge.  

Above:  some of the artifacts and resources used to teach St. George Elementary School students about the granite quarry and history of the island.

Working with Gould students in the raft challenge has definitely been the most challenging and educational part of my time here so far.  Since I’d never led this activity before, I took a very hands-off approach to see how the kids would organize themselves to get across the Ice Pond, with occasional bits of advice.  When they started to get crabby with one another, I gradually started taking away their supplies to increase the pressure—a tactic which, of course, only made them more frustrated with me.  At our post-activity reflection, I made sure to tell them that I had learned as much from the challenge as they had, and would be sure to appropriately adjust my approach to leading the challenge in the future.  Through these first two school programs, I’ve learned more than staring at lesson plans could ever teach me, and I look forward to continuing to grow as an educator throughout this summer and fall.

Above: looking out over the raft challenge supplies and Ice Pond, site of a great deal of learning for both students and instructors.

I’ve greatly enjoyed—and adjusted to—living on Hurricane in these first two weeks as well.  I’m slowly getting used to not showering every day (or even every other day), and I already know that the weather and I are going to be locked in a constant struggle until October as my southeastern soul longs for 90 degree days.  Regardless, it’s more than balanced out by the incredible community here and friends I’ve already made on this beautiful island. I can’t wait for more programs to arrive and to get even more into the swing of things than I am already.  

Beetles Leadership Institute: Immersed in professional development

“Immersive” is a word we often use to inform future participants about their upcoming  experience on Hurricane Island. It’s hard not to be immersed in the Hurricane community when coming to the island. Our island schedule impacts people’s time, and during prescribed meal times, participants eat the delicious food our chefs prepare. Participants disconnect from technology, relying on the present community for all social interaction. Rustic housing and outdoor showers with sunrise views solidify the place-based experience, and people bond over the natural beauty that surrounds them.

As staff members living on Hurricane for the season, we have such a long time to adjust to the lifestyle that it becomes familiar, and sometimes we forget how the immersive environment may feel to the participants who join us for the first time. In December, Director of Education Dr. Jenn Page and I were reminded of the participant perspective as we experienced it ourselves. We traveled to Petaluma, California for a week of learning with the Beetles Leadership Institute at the Walker Creek Ranch.

Beetles, short for Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning, and Expertise Sharing, is a research-based project out of Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, providing resources to outdoor science programs. During our week of learning, Jenn and I were two of ~50 program leaders focused on strategies to train field instructors, considering both curricular approaches and organization-level protocols to improve science teaching and learning.

In California, we were the participants, dependent on our hosts to feel safe, nourished, and rested. I am grateful to the staff at Walker Creek for providing many delicious meals and snacks, while accommodating a diverse array of dietary restrictions. The Beetles staff had so much content to cover during the week, and I appreciate that they provided both intentional reflection time and a bit of unscheduled free time each day. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the value of continual reflection to improve practice. As such, Jenn and I are planning to incorporate reflection opportunities for our staff this season.

During our free time, some days, I prioritized a power nap, while other days, I explored the area around the ranch or bonded with fellow participants. I relied on them for humor and as conversation partners to process the experience. We grew our personal and professional networks, and I hope we keep in touch and cross paths again. One morning, a number of us woke up early for a guided sunrise hike up to Walker Peak. This hike, as we set out in the dark, reminded me of the night hike we do with students on Hurricane. Instead of leading the hike on trails I’ve walked hundreds of times like I do on Hurricane, I was unfamiliar with my surroundings and put my full trust in our guide George and my headlamp. This hike connected me to the natural beauty of Petaluma, as I watched the pink sunrise over the hills, and noticed frost crystals on the grass as we hiked down to breakfast.

Overall, having a week dedicated to learning in the Beetles environment, largely free of distractions from other aspects of life, allowed for so much attention to the community and the topics. We were continually able to build upon insights from previous sessions and days. Jenn and I have brainstormed numerous ways to incorporate some of our Beetles learnings into the Hurricane Island experience. We recognize how the immersive environment at the Beetles Leadership Institute allowed for productive growth. Fully submerged, I felt the transformative power of being in an intentional environment for a week. I hope our participants on Hurricane similarly feel the positive impacts of our immersive environment when they join our community.

California sunrise

Hiking crew: early morning smiles after watching the sunrise from Walker Peak!

Jenn (center) and Robin (right) snap a selfie with Michigan-based participant Ben (left).

Making connections at RootSkills Conference

Between the end of November and the beginning of January many people are in a holiday 'blur', so it is understandable if you attributed that surge of positivity and global hope you felt at the beginning of December purely to the cheer of the season. What you were really feeling on December 1st and 2nd was the emotional glow generated by over 300 community organizers, funders, nonprofits, and sustainable businesses gathering together in Manchester, New Hampshire for the 2017 RootSkills Conference put on by the New England Grassroots Environment Fund. The conference itself was formed to 'bridge the divide between social and environmental justice' and even though it was centered in New England it drew in people from as far away as California to join us.

Robin and Jenn participating in the 2017 Emerging Changemakers group - Photo from MEEA's website

From the visionary keynote presentations given by Vien Truong (CEO of Dream Corps), San Juana Olivares (President of the Genesee County Hispanic/Latino Collaborative), and Rev. Mariama White-Hammond (Minister for Ecological Justice, Bethel AME Church), to the workshop tracks that spanned everything from Local Food to Youth Activism, the entire conference was inspirational beyond words. Among the many sessions I attended was one delivered by members of the Maine Environmental Education Association. Hearing how MEEA has worked so hard to eliminate power dynamics within their organization based on age was a highlight of the conference for me, especially when it was being presented by the youth representatives themselves. It made me proud that Hurricane is part of MEEA's Environmental Changemaker's Network and even more energized to help empower and support youth on Hurricane Island and in our communities as the change-makers of our collective future.

Placing our opportunities and challenges on the path to great results!

The activity we participated in at RootSkills in the MEEA session had us all thinking about the opportunities and challenges we all face in helping youth have an equal voice on any playing field but particularly around environmental issues. We brainstormed and discussed our ideas in small groups while we wrote the opportunities on colorful paper fish and the challenges on small 'boulders'. We then came back together as a group and all shared what we came up with and placed our fish and boulders on a paper 'river', with all the fish moving towards the end result: empowering young people from all communities who are passionate about the environment.

Through every session we participated in, Phoebe, Robin and myself made more connections to other people and organizations and grew our mental networks as much as we grew our professional networks.  We all left the conference vibrating with new ideas and positive energy and we are riding that momentum into our 2018 season.  On that note.... we would love to have other passionate individuals join us on that journey so if you know of someone who would like to work on the island this summer please send them our way! :)